Validates knowledge of designing DevOps solutions, including source control, build and release pipelines, security and compliance, and instrumentation.
AZ-400 tests whether you can design and implement delivery practices with GitHub and Azure DevOps. Most of the weight is on pipelines, so spend most of your time building YAML pipelines, deployment strategies and infrastructure as code yourself, then practise choosing Microsoft's recommended option among several that would work.
Example scenario: Managers want to see how long work items take from first commit to production. Which metric would you put on the dashboard, and where would the data come from?
Example scenario: A secret was committed to a repository three commits ago. What steps would you take to remove it and stop it happening again?
Example scenario: A team wants 5% of users to get a new release first, then everyone if error rates stay flat. Which deployment strategy and supporting features would you use?
Example scenario: A pipeline deploys to Azure with a client secret stored in a variable. How would you remove the stored secret entirely?
Example scenario: After a release, response times double for one API. Which telemetry would you check to find the slow dependency?
AZ-400 study guide · Skills measured as of July 27, 2026
Choose the best answer from the options, or the stated number of answers when a question asks for more than one.
A team wants every pull request to pass unit tests before it can be merged into main. What should they configure?
A. A branch policy with build validation blocks the merge until the pipeline succeeds.
Move items from a list into the correct places, such as matching items to targets or putting steps in order.
Drag each tool to the job it does.
Azure Artifacts → host and share packages; Azure Boards → track work items; Application Insights → monitor application telemetry.
Choose the correct option for each part of an exhibit or statement list, often Yes or No for each statement.
For each statement, select Yes or No.
Yes, Yes, No. Branch policies can be set on any branch.
Read one scenario with its background, requirements and exhibits, then answer several questions about it.
Case study: A company keeps code in GitHub and deploys to Azure App Service. Requirement: workflows must store no Azure secrets. Question 1 of 3: How should the workflow sign in to Azure?
A. OpenID Connect lets the workflow request short-lived tokens, so nothing secret is stored.
Complete tasks in a live environment by following written instructions.
In the Azure DevOps project, change the pipeline named Build-Web so it publishes the build output folder as a pipeline artifact named drop.
Add a publish pipeline artifact step that points at the output folder with the artifact name drop, run the pipeline and check that drop appears in the run summary.
Schedule AZ-400 with Pearson VUE from the exam page, using a personal Microsoft account. The Expert credential is issued once you also hold a qualifying Associate certification.
Take the free practice assessment to see where you stand, then build each pipeline topic yourself in a free GitHub account and an Azure DevOps organization.
Most candidates spend 60–110 hours. Plan for the low end if you already run pipelines in GitHub Actions or Azure Pipelines; add time if you have used neither.
The free Microsoft Learn paths cover every skill area. Practise in GitHub and Azure DevOps, which both have free tiers.
Best official courseDesign and Implement Microsoft DevOps Solutions (AZ-400T00)
Best paid video courseAZ-400 Designing and Implementing DevOps Certification
Best for employer-fundedMicrosoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400)Build in both tools. The exam covers GitHub Actions and Azure Pipelines side by side. Set up the same pipeline in each so you know where settings such as environments, secrets and approvals live.
Start with Microsoft's free practice assessment. MeasureUp's official practice test adds timed full-length sets with explanations.
Free official checkAZ-400 practice assessment
Official practice testAZ-400 Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions Practice Test
AZ-400 Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Practice ExamsChoose the checklist for your test-centre or online appointment.
A candidate with two years of daily Azure DevOps work found the scenarios harder than expected, because several answers looked right and only one matched Microsoft's guidance. Their practice scores rose only after reviewing every explanation.
One passer had 45 questions plus an eight-task lab that took almost as long as the rest of the exam. Practise doing tasks in the portal, not only answering questions.
Passers combined free Microsoft videos and the practice assessment with a paid question bank. One experienced engineer was caught out by Maven and npm questions outside their usual toolchain.